Heartbreaks and Promises
by klaroline-heart
Summary: A One Shot about Clary heartbreak as Jace prepares to marry Lydia Branwell.. Will the wedding commence or will Jace have a change of heart AU
**Hi All,**

 **Here i am with a little Jace & Clary.. Watching the new show has sparked a love in these characters again! be prepared for more stories revolving them all.. Please let me know what you think.. **

* * *

Clary stood in front of the large mirror in her room at the institute, her eyes carefully gazing at her unrecognizable face.

Isabelle had insisted on doing her make up but Clary really wasn't intending on attending the festivities.

Her eyes fell on the golden card on her dressing table as the tears welled up in her eyes again.

She brushed down the tight fitted gown taking a deep breath as she rested the chain that held the Morgenstern ring that Jace had given her around her neck carefully tucking the ring into her corset.

She tried taking a deep breath but she couldn't breath at all, she wasn't sure if it was the over flowing tears or if it was the tightening knot in her stomach that had her feeling this way.

She was preparing the exit her bedroom when she heard a knock at her door

"Come in" she called not knowing who to expect but most of all hoping it was Jace, The smile faltered slightly when she saw Isabelle enter the room beaming brightly in her own gown.

"Are you ready? We're waiting on you" Clary nodded taking a sharp intake of breath

"I was just leaving now" she smiled softly as she grabbed her clutch that was settled on her bed. Isabelle linked her arm in Clary's unable to resist the smile of happiness that covered her face, something that Clary knew Isabelle hadn't been able to truly due since before Max had died.

* * *

The two girls walked together to the sanctuary where Simon waited patiently for them with Alec and Magnus.

All three of them smiling brightly at the two girls "Shouldn't you be hidden away or something?" Alec questioned earning a deadly glare from Izzy.

"Clary needed some fresh air" Isabelle announced as she led Clary to the large wooden door leading to the institute small garden.

Clary stepped outside looking up at the dim star filled sky.

"Clary?" Her eye caught sight of the flash of gold as she stepped further into the garden.

It was golden hair, the same golden hair that Jace wore

"Hi" She couldn't look at him, it just didn't feel right looking at him longingly.

He looked her up and down smiling softly "You look beautiful" She smiled

"Thanks but shouldn't you be inside?" Jace took a deep breath as he moved towards her his hand hoovering by her cheek tempted to touch her but then dropped it to his side.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I just needed you too know that i never meant to hurt you" Clary felt the tears slip down her cheeks

"Don't please Jace. Don't say anything, Go inside and I'll be there in a minute" Jace tried to speak but Clary raised her hand up to stop him

"Please" He nodded regrettable and rushed past her.

As she watched him enter the institute she fell to the ground but a set of strong arms caught her

"It's okay Fray." He's soothed against her ear as he let her fall into his chest away from their friends.

"What do I do Simon?" She sobbed.

Simon spun her around so she was looking at him

"You're going to go in there and be strong like the Clary I know, You're going to ignore the rumours and hold your head up because you're Clary Fray-Fairchild Shadowhunter bad ass I know" Clary let out a low chuckle as she wiped her tears away with her hands

"Now go get cleaned up and re-apply your make up. We have a wedding to attend" Clary nodded as she rushed off to the rest room.

"Is she going to be okay?" Isabelle questioned as she came out to join her boyfriend.

"I don't know, She keeps putting on this brave face but deep inside she is falling apart and I've never seen Clary this broken except when…"

Isabelle knew what he was going to say "When Sebastian took Jace with him"

Simon nodded. "Yeah, She won't admit that she's hurting"

Isabelle took Simon's hand in her own "I think we should go and get our seats and wait for Clary inside" Simon agreed following Izzy inside to sit beside Alec and Magnus.

* * *

Clary stood in front of the mirror her eyes still blotchy and red from crying as she tried to fix her make up, she knew it wouldn't be as good as Isabelle's but it was better than red eyes.

She had just finished applying her lip gloss when the door swung open and Aline Penhallow entered "Hi Clary, You okay?"

Clary nodded trying to hide her eyes but Aline wasn't stupid she could see through Clary's facade, she had seen the way the girl had stared at Jace when she caught them kissing back in her house in Alicante.

"I'm sorry about you and Jace. I know how much he meant to you"

Clary nodded "Thanks." Clary whispered as she rushed out of the room heading towards the hall that ceremony was taking place.

* * *

She found her seat between Simon and Magnus on the second row of guests, She felt like they were trying to torture her making her sit this close to the ceremony as it took place

"I can't sit here" she whispered to her friends desperately hoping that they would move but Magnus held out a little card with his name written on it

"Sorry Buscuit. It looks like we were assigned these seats" Clary sighed as she fell back into her chair, nowhere near prepared for what was about to happen.

A sound filled the room and Jace ran to the front of the room with Alec standing tall behind him, his eyes fixed on Magnus. Jace's eyes fell on Clary's before turning to the back of the room where a veiled woman in gold entered the room on Robert Lightwood's arm.

Clary tried to breath as she watched the woman make her way to the front of the room, her sole purpose to meet Jace at the alter where the silent brother stood with their stele's preparing them for the exchange of their marriage runes.

When the bride reached the alter she witnessed Jace lift the veil from her face revealing Lydia Branwell.

Clary had known all along that this wedding was happening, Jace had agreed to marry Lydia when he thought he and Clary were siblings, it was his attempt to try and let her go but She and Jace both knew they couldn't let the other go, that was what made the night even more unbearable.

Clary watched as Lydia and Jace exchanged gifts but her heart tore in two when she watched Lydia reach for her stele, it was her breaking point, telling her that she shouldn't be there, that it was a mistake.

She stood up uprubtly causing whispered chaos around the room

"Clary? Sit down, come on" Simon pleaded trying to prevent her from making a scene as he gripped her wrist, she didn't care for what everybody else thought, instead she pulled away from him dashing out of the room and out of the institute until she collapses in a bundle on the grass outside.

Her heart tore at the memory of Jace declaring his love for her when they were siblings, for him admitting that he wasn't ashamed to love her and wishing that they could still be together, then her mind remember the Jace that was with Sebastian, care free and in love with her not his fiance back in Alicante.

"Clary?" she turned to see Alec standing at the door way

"You okay? I know everybody has probably asked you this already today" Clary smiled softly,

here she was feeling sorry for herself but Alec was once in her shoes, heart broken and saddened when Jace fell In love with her while he loved Jace.

"Is it over? Are they married now?" She questioned tearfully

"Yes it's over. Jace has asked me to see if you'll meet him in the library, he needs to speak to you" Clary shook her head

"I can't see him."

Alec reached out gently touching her shoulder "Please Clary, he needs to speak to you" Clary rolled her eyes but followed behind Alec as he led her to the library.

* * *

Opening the door Clary was greeted to Jace sat on the edge of the table his stele In his grip "Clary. I thought you wouldn't come" He jumped up startled.

Clary knew in all honesty she couldn't just walk away from him without seeing his face just once more

"I almost didn't. I don't need to know why you called me here, you should be with your wife celebrating" She snapped at him as she entered the library properly watching as Alec shut the door behind them.

Jace opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off "I'm leaving for Alicante tomorrow. Robert asked me if I would like to work at the Academy as a Rune instructor. I accepted" Jace's jaw dropped

"He never told me, You never told me" Clary shrugged her shoulders as she turned from his view moving towards the case that once held the fairy rings that she and Simon used to communicate while she was with her brother and Jace

"You're married now. Your loyalty is to Lydia; Your wife and my loyalty is to myself" she replied without allowing herself to cry or her voice to crack

"but Clary!" She couldn't allow him to finish, he couldn't marry another woman and still have her too.

She remembered when they had thought they were siblings, the love that they shared more powerful than that and then his need to get over her and proposing to Lydia; her own distant cousin.

"Goodbye Jace" She said as she reached the door pulling it open forcefully, pouring light from the hallway into the library

"We didn't complete the ceremony, We didn't get married" Clary paused before turning to face him.

one side of his face glowing from the light that poured into the room from the hall light and the other pale from the moon light streaming through the window.

"I don't understand? I saw you both standing there, she held her stele ready to place the rune on you " Jace rushed towards Clary gripping her face within his hands, kissing her with every inch of his being, She let herself give into the moment still unable to process how he was standing with her at this moment.

She reached her hands against his chest pushing him away quickly, still confused about his declaration

"I don't understand?" Jace chuckled as looked into her wary eyes

"You walking out made me realize I could no more watch you marry another man than you could watch me marry Lydia, I never should have proposed to her that night. I was foolish and hurt after my fath.. Valentine had told me that we were siblings, I wanted to forget you and it broke my heart declaring to you that I was engaged but it was the only way I could put the barrier up between us but then when you told me the truth, I felt relieved until we returned to Alicante and she was there excited to see me. I promised I wouldn't hurt you again and I did but I made a promise and Shadowhunters always keep their promise, that was why I continued going along with the charade but you in this beautiful dress, your tangled fiery red hair and painful gaze made me pull away, I wanted to run after you, to tell you that I love you and I always will Clary"

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked into his eyes

"What about Lydia? How does she feel?" Jace lowered his head at the mention of her name

"She slapped me, I suppose I deserve that but she told me she understood" Clary looked down at his hand, the Herondale ring that she received from Tessa now in the place of the Morgenstern ring that once occupied it, the very ring that had caused him so much conflict in his teenage years.

"I'm still leaving for Idris in the morning. Just because you suddenly decide you need me doesn't change my mind. My heart has been torn apart all these months and you didn't care then so I'm sorry but I need to pack"

Jace tried to cling to her as she pulled away from him,

He wanted to stop her from leaving him but he had known Clary long enough to know that nothing would change her mind once it's been set.

Clary turned for a fraction of a second and smiled as she spoke "For the record; I love you too" The she turned on her heels walking inside to prepare for her departure.

Jace beamed as he watched her leave, he knew that she loved him but hearing her say it made him feel that much better for leaving Lydia in a room full of guests while he realized his heart belonged to Clary.

* * *

 **R &R**

 **X0X0**


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